With the regular season over and postseason matches set, the Cleveland Cavaliers are set to play against Boston on Sunday. Despite ranking second behind the Atlanta Hawks, the Cavaliers are a favorite this season, having won 34 out of their final 43 games.
Last Tuesday, the Cavaliers already beat the Celtics, armed with power players Kyrie Irving, Timothy Mozgov, and LeBron James. Their 99-91 victory, though close, led Cleveland to a 2-0 series lead, attributed by many experts to the skills of some of Cleveland’s best players. Although the Celtics were able to rally in the third quarter, after lagging behind the Cavs by a full 14 points, it still wasn’t enough to lead Boston to a victory.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a successful postseason run so far, especially with the performances of key players like LeBron James, making the Cavaliers an appealing pick as far as odds for the upcoming playoff games. With LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love at the forefront of the roster, the team is currently in what’s become known as its “Big Three Era.”
Another win, and the Cavaliers are likely to find themselves facing off against the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls recently won a close game against Milwaukee, ultimately prevailing with a final score of 92-81. Jimmy Butler led the way, scoring 31 points. The game was defensive for the Milwaukee Bucks from the outset, but Chicago’s game really picked up in the second quarter. Chicago’s ten point lead was largely the work of Butler, who’s shaping up to be their strongest player this season. The Bulls versus Bucks game really drove home Butler’s considerable skill, making it clear that he can help make the Bulls a force to be reckoned with. This game had a relatively low score, and progressed at a decidedly low pace.
Later on, the Cavs could also potentially find themselves matched up against the Atlanta Hawks. Finishing as #1 seed, the Hawks are widely favored in their match up against the Nets. One of the stronger teams this season, the Hawks have the potential to give the Cavaliers a run for their money. With their college style offense and aggressive defense, the Hawks have the capacity to beat Cleveland. However, with Cleveland’s “Big Three” at the helm, the games will certainly be quite close, making it difficult to predict a clear winner out of this potential Eastern Conference Final match up.